A chronicle of our family's transition to an off-grid, more self-sufficient and eco-friendlier lifestyle, sharing, wherever possible, helpful links and ideas, in order to ease anyone else's journey along this path

"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Monday, 13 June 2011

I've been busy, and distracted, this past week or so. That, and the blooming face aches. The specialist told me that the MRI showed I have a venous abnormality - and he's not 100% certain if that is causing any of my problems - he still needs to speak to the radiologist... My apologies for the gaps between postings, but it's not easy to blog when you're filled with pain.

Ah well, to talk of more pleasant things. You recall I said that RMan and I had made a momentous decision. Well, that decision has been taken a step further, and that has caused us to proceed with a major spring clean (in winter LOL) / decluttering of our home. It is seriously scary how much clutter one can accumulate in the back of cupboards. And how dirty areas, which are out of view, become.

For instance - as helpful as they are when the weather is stinking hot, ceiling fans are a bloody nuisance when it comes to clambering up on kitchen counters / dining room chairs to clean them. Yes, there is immense satisfaction when the job is done, but brother - what a hassle! And who on earth would even think about putting a white ceiling fan in the kitchen. Muggings me LOL

It's the same with counter top stoves. Even though I don't use ours anymore, have you ever lifted the hob to see what gathers around the edge of the counter - absolutely revolting - and not something that I would care to leave for anyone else to clean.

Now, why would I need to worry about that - well, we have decided to sell our home of 21 years, and find something closer to the farm, but still in the Cape Town area.

Why not just move to the farm, I can hear you thinking LOL? Well, we still need to be here for our business - this past year-and-a-half of recession has delayed our plans to move. And we are aware that the recession is still not over...

So, and this will make no sense to read initially, but we are looking to move to Gordon's Bay which is 87 kms (54 miles) closer to the farm. We currently live in Hout Bay which is approximately 257 kms (160 miles) from the farm. That 87 kms takes us, on average, 1 - 1½ hours with the city traffic. The balance of 170 kms (106 miles) from Gordon's Bay to the farm is on a national road and also takes us 1½ hours - therefore with this move we will be able to go to the farm every weekend - far quicker and much cheaper (in fuel and vehicle wear-and-tear) than it is currently costing us, allowing us to leave on Friday evening and be back for work on Monday morning... LOL.

Better all round for the planet too - less travelling = less pollution in the air.

A map of the Western Cape, below, shows what I am trying to explain:

1 = Hout Bay - where we currently are
2 = Gordon's Bay - where we hope to find a new house
3 = approximate location of the farm

We are fortunate in that we have a business which can relocate very easily - the only difference our customers will / should notice is that the contact telephone number will change.

I wish it was a move directly to the farm, but unfortunately that is not feasible at the moment. So this is definitely a step in the right direction - with or without the pun.

So, spring cleaning in winter and decluttering is all in preparation of opening our home for public viewing - not the nicest thing to have to experience, but if it's a means to an end - then it is going to be worth it.

And we will still have the new house which we can sub-let in order to get a bit of extra income once we are living on the farm. And which we can sell if, and when, we are too old to take care of ourselves on the farm, and / or need to move to a retirement village.

The farm - we can't decide on a name for it - so "the farm" it is for now. Anyone got any idea's?

Well .. here's to the sale of your older home .. may you find a buyer and a new closer home to the farm .. and yes .. a name. Most of all .. I hope you get some relief from the facial pain. We just purged our closets and made the local charities very happy. You are so right about how messy/dirty/grimy our living areas can get .. having the old home in good condition should bring a better price.

I hope you find the cause and cure for your pain soon. About the move to Gordon's Bay - please think long and hard about it, we lived there for 7 years and the South Easter is unbearable. I didn't realize how miserable it had made our lives until we moved to Strand. Even here you have to be careful to buy a house that is sheltered from the wind but it is still nothing compared to GB.

Your home is beautiful! I can't imagine that you'll have any difficulty selling, I think the problem everybody has is getting what you expect out of it. $Ka-ching$

I too hope you can get some relief from your facial pain. I guess it's not that uncommon. My sister in law had a nerve in her jaw that was causing her extreme facial pain. I never knew such a thing could happen. She had surgery on her jaw first and that helped for awhile, but just this past winter had brain surgery and though she was scared at the time, she looks back on it and says that it was the right thing to do. She's 72 BTW. Cyber hugs.

Garden Girl - Welcome and thanks - for the wishes and the info! I had heard about wind there, and will certainly ensure that the new house has some protection. Really appreciate your warning though - the south eater is hectic, isn't it! :-)

I wonder if anybody can tell you about Hout versus Gordon's for wind? We had wind in Camps Bay. It is part of the price you pay for living between the mountains and the sea in Cape Town. Here in Porterville we have blistering summer heat, instead of the Southeaster. Saving the commute thru the city traffic, will make a huge difference to you!

Ask the neighbours, or the estate agent, why it is called Die Dam. Seems there should be a story there!

A name for the farm - I'm sure you have ideas. Farm names are like English pub signs. There was a Sukkel Engelsman, but they have painted that over. And Somersverdriet. Moretou. Gelukwaarts is our local dairy ;~) And so many Welgevonden ...

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About me

Married for 36 years to RMan, mum to our two kids, Natasha and Richard, and Nana to my precious grandson, Mike, and new baby granddaughter, Hayley. If you would like to send me an e-mail, please do so to: dani at ecofootprint dot co dot za

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